-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla St. Edmond girls tennis returning letterwinners are, left to right, Cambree Lunn, Payton Bradley, Lauren Gibb

For the first time in program history, the St. Edmond girls tennis team enters the season with something to defend.

Under head coach Shawn Neverman, the Gaels swept the regular season and the tournament titles in the North Central Conference last spring.

Now, with three returning members of the varsity lineup back along with several interesting newcomers, expectations remain high for St. Edmond.

“I’m super excited for this season,” Neverman said. “The success we had last year gave the girls a taste of winning. That made them hungry to do it again this year.”

Lauren Gibb returned to the school and will be back on the tennis courts alongside fellow three-year regulars Payton Bradley and Cambree Lunn.

St. Edmond went 9-2 in duals last year, falling to Decorah in a Class 1A regional championship. They knocked off both Aplington-Parkersburg and Waverly-Shell Rock in the postseason, as those two programs combined to win 21 duals.

Gibb placed second at the NCC meet in singles as a sophomore with the team of Lunn and Bradley taking third in doubles.

“I think that being one win away from state as a team made the girls work harder in the offseason,” Neverman said. “They want to not only repeat the successes of last year, but take that next step.”

Joining Gibb, Bradley and Lunn from the junior class will be Maddy Cripe, Braelynn Rees, Nicole Mosier and Emily Mosier. Sophomores include Ava Andrew, Ava Underberg, Sophia Dutcher, Lucy Midtling and Ella Mundie, with freshmen Chloe Palmer, Abby Huss, Nina Smith and Lizzie Tiernan rounding out the roster.

“Ava and Ava filled in on varsity some last year when we had girls out so that was good experience for them,” Neverman said. “We have a lot of letterwinners from cheer to cross country to volleyball to basketball to softball.”

The Gaels open the season at Webster City on Tuesday. They will host the NCC meet on May 1.

2024 ST. EDMOND GIRLS TENNIS

Roster

Juniors

Lauren Gibb, Payton Bradley, Cambree Lunn, Maddy Cripe, Braelynn Rees, Nicole Mosier, Emily Mosier.

Sophomores

Ava Andrew, Ava Underberg, Sophia Dutcher, Lucy Midtling, Ella Mundie.

Freshmen

Chloe Palmer, Abby Huss, Nina Smith, Lizzie Tiernan.

Schedule

March 26 — at Webster City.

April 2 — Nevada; 5 — Aplington-Parkersburg; 8 — at Storm Lake; 9 — Clear Lake; 16 — at Iowa Falls-Alden; 19 — at South Hardin; 22 — Carroll Kuemper; 23 — Hampton-Dumont/CAL; 26 — at Grundy Center.

May 1 — host North Central Conference meet.